SkillsUSA’s mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. SkillsUSA improves the quality of America’s skilled workforce through a structured program of citizenship, leadership, employability, technical and professional skills training. SkillsUSA takes pride in being one of the premiere student organizations solely dedicated to the advancement in the industrial arts and personal development.
SkillsUSA History:
SkillsUSA was originally known as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA). VICA was adopted during the Trade and Industrial Youth Conference in May of 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee. Representatives from 14 states, consisting of approximately 200 students, advisors, and business and labor representatives, gathered to choose the club's name, colors, motto, purposes and goals. These representatives were from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia..
By 1966, membership in VICA was around 30,000, spanning 1,074 clubs across 26 states and territories. At the national conference, held in Little Rock, Arkansas, the VICA emblem was unveiled, and the first official state charters were presented.
Tennessee, being among one of the first states to be granted a VICA charter, was quick to incorporate the states Tri-Star emblem into its official VICA state flag. Earl Foland of Dresden Tennessee designed and created this flag. Only three are known to exist, one of which remains in the custody of Dresden High School (It now hangs in the IST Lab). VICA held its first International Youth Skill Olympics in Atlanta in 1981 following the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC).
In 1995, the VICA national competition, then known as the United States Skill Olympics, was renamed to the SkillsUSA Championships. In 1999, VICA was renamed SkillsUSA-VICA. In 2004, the name was shortened to SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA now has more than 360,000 secondary, post-secondary and alumni members nationwide, representing more than 17,300 classrooms and 50 states and territories (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).
2017 DHS SkillsUSA Members and Officers
1. Jordan Bell
2. Eli Butler - Parliamentarian
3. Paxton Davis - Reporter
4. Seth Farris
5. Jennifer Huestis - Secretary
6. Meyer Maddox - Student Council Rep
7. Quincey McDonald - Sergeant at Arms
8. Joseph Mitchell
9. Alex Montgomery - President
10. Nate Montgomery
11. Brooke Parker
12. Rex Roberts - Vice-President
13. Steffie Silva
14. Jonathan Smartt
15. James Smith
16. Austin Taylor
17. April Williams
18. Collin Winstead
19. Jimmy Woodson - Treasurer
20. Dagan Workman